Make It Last
by Jennifer Ryu'kage
Summary: A very different take on what happened "that summer." Rated for mature situations, minor language, read and review at your own discretion.


Make It Last

The fire flickers out, making movies on her skin,

And in the embers she remembers all the places that she's been...

Rinoa stared absently at the dying fire, thinking back over all the other guys she had met in her lifetime. Ones from Timber, ones from Galbadia.. but never a Garden student, at least not like this one. Convenient, really, given Timber's current state, under heavy Galbadian patrols. Gods, she was having trouble expressing herself to this one... he was too damned attractive, though she couldn't be sure if that was enhanced by all the alcohol she'd had or not.

Four letter words fly from her mouth-

Rinoa cursed her inability to speak to the young man who sat next to her.

"Hell, Seifer... you're different from them all." He shrugged and smiled.

She thinks she's breaking ground-

"I mean, you understand how I feel about Timber! And you understand me... I want to get closer to you." 

*So then maybe you'll talk to your Headmaster for me and get help for Timber...*

Time takes its toll, she feels his soul

In everything around and I say-

"If that's what you want, sure. But I want to know just how close you mean." 

The way that you feel now

It's cool as long as I know

The way it's gonna be...

"Well... you know..." she said, feigning awkwardness. Seifer arched a brow at her and she forced herself to blush as she tossed the rest of her wine cooler on the coals, watching as the flames shot high into the sky. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close.

"If you're so sure then... alright," he murmured in her ear. 

Make it last for an hour

We'll never feel this way again

Make it all that you want

And everything that I need...

"Guess it's good that I brought a Tent... hate to do it out in the cold," she said, blushing slightly, this time not faking it. 

The booze reaches her blood- 

She stood up dizzily, then sat down again fast. "Here... you better do this..." she mumbled, passing him the Tent as her vision faltered. He nodded and set it up with quick efficiency. He looked wonderful in this light, and Rinoa was almost sure that only a small fraction of it was because of the alcohol. He helped her up, saying lightly,

"You know, Rinoa, you probably shouldn't have drank all those."

She forgets his name-

"I'll be fine, Ss... Sei.... umm... yeah. I'll be okay." 

The wood has turned to coal, 

But our desire fuels the flame...

Seifer spread out the sleeping bag on the floor and slipped out of his trenchcoat and shirt. He laid down, reclining, and gestured for her to join him as she slipped out of her blue vest/dress. She snuggled against his chest, he tipped her chin up and kissed her gently.

Will we surrender to the night? 

Or will our conscience win the fight?

Rinoa acted nervous as Seifer stripped off his clothes, then began to undress her. He kissed her again and she responded, deepening the kiss as her ran his fingers down her side. 

She won't regress, but can't confess

That everything's alright and I say...

"You're sure you want this?" he asked quietly.

"....Yeah," she whispered.

"...You're not nervous?"

"A little," she lied. 

The way that you feel now

It's cool as long as I know

The way it's gonna be...

"What about after this? What's going to happen to us, hmm?" he questioned.

It's gonna take more

Where we're gonna go...

"We'll stay together. You know I wouldn't hurt you, Seifer." His name suddenly came to her like a lightning bolt as she finished her name. 

"...Well then...." He paused for a moment, taking in her beauty, running his hands across her smooth skin. Rinoa shivered at his touch, she was no virgin, but still... she'd done this few enough times and never could get over her skin's sensibility to a man's touch. He toyed with her, tempting her, and Rinoa wondered if he'd done this before, or if he only hung out with others who had and heard all the gory details. Whichever one it was... it didn't seem to matter.

Make it last for an hour

We'll never feel this way again

Make it all that you want

And everything that I need...

By the time he took her she was wild for him, he drove her to the point of insanity before finally quenching her raging desire. 

Make it last, make it last, 

'Cause you're not making me any promises

Make it last, make the best of what you see... 

When Rinoa woke up, he smiled down at her. 

"...I'm glad it was you," he murmured quietly as she disentangled her legs from his and re-snuggled against his chest. So he had been a virgin... interesting. Rinoa felt badly for using him now, but still... she had to help Timber. Now was the time to pose her question.

"Seifer... You go to Garden, right?" He nodded at her. "I've... told you what's happened at Timber. D'you think... could you maybe get me in to see the Headmaster? Or... even if you could just talk to him and ask if he would send a squad to help?"

You give to me what I need to see-

He blinked at her request.

"Rinoa... I'm sorry, but I can't do that. One, I'm not exactly a model student, and two, the only thing I ever go to Cid for is taking kids who break the rules to his office." 

You can't feed my imagination-

"I'm- I'm sorry, Rinoa..." he said suddenly at her downcast features.

You give to me what I need to see, it's a twisted fascination...

"It's okay... I understand." Dammit. What a waste of a good night. She forced a smile, despite her anger at him. She closed her eyes and pretended to fall asleep, waiting until he dropped off to get dressed and leave. She frowned, then took a piece of paper from her pocket and scribbled a brief notice to him before slipping from the tent, careful to walk in the surf where she wouldn't leave footprints. It was chilly outside...

It feels so good to make it through the cold...

Her friend Zone handed her a coat as she rounded a bend in the beach, the two of them talking as they walked towards Balamb. 

"So did he get you to see the Headmaster?"

"No." Her voice held the "I don't want to talk about it" tone, Zone dropped the subject as they boarded the train bound for Timber. Rinoa silently was glad of what she'd done, maybe next time someone asked him for help he'd do it. And if he didn't, maybe that person would hurt him just like she had. He'd deserve it.

But you know that he'll 

Close all the doors, just close 'em all

For the rest of time... 

Seifer awoke the next morning, expecting to find Rinoa by his side, and was surprised to find her gone.

"Rinoa? Where..." He saw the note and picked it up, his face twisting as he read it.

-Seifer,

I'm sorry, but I had to leave. My friend came and told me they were about to lock down Timber and weren't going to let anyone in or out. I guess we weren't meant to be.

~Rinoa

Seifer tore the note into shreds, flinging the tiny paper remnants on the ashes of the fire. Tears stung his eyes, he suddenly collapsed into the sand, sobs racking his shocked body.

"S-She left m-m-me... she p-promised!!! Sh-she left meeeeeeee!!!!!!!!" he wailed into the chill morning air. used, abused, raped and left out in the cold, Seifer clutched at Hyperion in despair. His fingers ran across the smooth hilt and down the flat edge of the blade. His breath caught in his lungs, he rasped harshly when he drew in air. With tears splashing down onto the sand, he curled into a ball, placing Hyperion's razor-sharp blade between his wrists, pushing them against the cold metal. It bit into his skin, blood began to slowly seep across the blade and down his arms to the sand, staining it crimson. Seifer whimpered in pain, but this was nothing to the agony his heart was in. No matter... it would all be over soon.

Seifer's vision blurred at the edges. He could dimly hear a loud pounding sound coming close to him, and absently wondered if it was his heart. His vision began to go black around the corners. He closed his aching, tearstained eyes, not bothering to look at the world one last time. There was no point. All the world was against him anyways...

A gentle touch to his bloody wrists brought Seifer's eyes fluttering open weakly. Another careful touch, and a quiet whisper by what was usually a loud, booming voice. Seifer felt cool healing energy pouring over his wrists as someone touched them, another person lovingly cradling him in their arms, wiping away the blood with a soft towel. Recognition finally dawned on him.

"Fuu.. .Raij... s-she left me.... I.... let me die..... please...." he whimpered, his heart shredded.

"No, Seifer... live. Live for us... your Posse..."

"I... I gave her.... my.... my... she...."

"It's alright boss, ya know? We're here for ya, an' we won't let her hurt ya again, ya know?" Seifer rested his head on Fujin's shoulder, letting his two best friends hold him and care for him. He closed his eyes, silently swearing a vow to himself. never again would he let a girl take him in and use him as Rinoa had, so help him Hyne.

~Fin~

Author's Notes: Alright... this is simply a view on what happened "that summer," I know there's MAJOR OOC-ness but I don't really care too much. This is also part of a prologue to "Rulebreaker" and "Vacation," two of my upcoming fics. Sorry all you Rinoa fans, but I don't think very highly of her, I'll try to treat her nicer in some of my other fics. Anyways FF8 isn't mine and neither is "Make It Last," Final Fantasy is property of Square and all that nonsense, "Make It Last" is owned by Stroke 9, blah blah, blah. Excuse my unoriginality, both of the above sources. Your stuff is too good not to "borrow." 


End file.
